


Suffocating Within These Four Walls

by Bisexual_Bean



Category: Minecraft (Video Game)
Genre: But we dun knew, Claustrophobia, Dream is an asshole, Emotional Manipulation, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Kinda, Kinda?, Manipulation, Phil is Tommy's dad, Prison, Protective Sam | Awesamdude, Protective Toby Smith | Tubbo, TommyInnit Angst (Video Blogging RPF), TommyInnit Has PTSD (Video Blogging RPF), TommyInnit Needs a Hug (Video Blogging RPF), TommyInnit Whump (Video Blogging RPF), Traumatized Tommyinnit (Video Blogging RPF), awesamdad, tommyinnit has claustrophobia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-22
Updated: 2021-02-22
Packaged: 2021-03-12 01:07:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,717
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29626779
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bisexual_Bean/pseuds/Bisexual_Bean
Summary: Tubbo: Hey Sam! Have you seen Tommy anywhere? We were suppose to get together at his place but when I messaged him it said he was offline?Sam buries a hand in his hair, struggles as hard as he can to take deep and even breaths.Yeah, he can get Tommy out. Of course he can. But in order to unlock any of the security measures put in place the prison has to be fixed and confirmed not to be in any danger of being breached.But that could take hours. Days.But he doesn't know if Tommy is going to be able to last that long.Sam: Get to the prison. Now.
Relationships: Sam | Awesamdude & Toby Smith | Tubbo & Tommyinnit, Sam | Awesamdude & TommyInnit
Comments: 6
Kudos: 471





	Suffocating Within These Four Walls

Sam sat on the other end of the bridge, restless hands fidgeting uselessly in his lap as he listened to Tommy and Dreams converse.

But God was it difficult to not interrupt. He had force his back to stay pressed against the wall, had to force his feet to stay planted on the ground and not rush towards the lavas edge and force his way through it.

Especially when Tommy started screaming. Shouting. Cursing Dream out for what he had done to him.

But he couldn't. As much as he wanted to, he knows this is what Tommy needs. Needs the closure and the finality that will allow him to flip to the next chapter of his life and not have a shadow of Dream constantly hovering over his shoulder.

Sam knows. He's seem it in the way Tommy walks with an almost cautious weariness to his steps. The way his eyes shift around nervously and try to watch everyone around him at once. How he stumbles over his words and how every time Sam manages to speak with him, the kid keeps a firm distance between them like he's scared Sam will get to close and corner him.

Sam knows that Tommy's barely been eating, barely been sleeping, barely speaking to anyone if he can avoid it. Sam can't count the number of times he's left the hotel grounds late into the night and heard screaming coming from Tommy's house.

So as much as he wanted to go in there? Take Tommy some place safe that is away from the prison and Dream and everything and watch over him? 

He won't.

But then the sound of explosions hit his ears, loud and deafening and booming, and his head jerk up towards the obsidian ceiling above him. The lava continues to flow downward, to pop and crackle, and while Sam knows without a doubt that TNT cant destroy it, that doesn't mean someone wont try to manually break through it.

It's only after he's already rushed out, after he shuts down the prison and activates every security measure needed to keep anyone and everyone out, after he finds the perimeter of the prison abandoned and the top destroyed down to the obsidian layer, that he remembers Tommy.

Tommy, who is in the prison.

Who is in the prison with _Dream._

And then Sam's heart is pounding in his ears, gun powder sizzling in his chest, because he just locked a kid in a tiny cell with his abuser.

His communicator dings in his pocket.

_Tubbo: Hey Sam! Have you seen Tommy anywhere? We were suppose to get together at his place but when I messaged him it said he was offline?_

Sam buries a hand in his hair, struggles as hard as he can to take deep and even breaths.

Yeah, he can get Tommy out. Of course he can. But in order to unlock any of the security measures put in place the prison has to be fixed and confirmed not to be in any danger of being breached.

But that could take hours. _Days._

But he doesn't know if Tommy is going to be able to last that long.

_Sam: Get to the prison. Now._

\--------

Inside, Tommy's head was throbbing, fingers buried in his hair and gripping the strands so tightly if he had anymore control over himself he'd be frightened of ripping it out.

Across from him, Dream rests against the wall, arms casually behind his back, blank mask smiling down at him. Tommy wanted to punch it clean off the others face, but given the fact that he had to fight back a pained groan every time Dream even _shifted_ in his direction, he didn't think it was an available option at the moment.

"Come on now Tommy," The mans voice bounces off the walls and Tommy barely hears the whimper that passes through his lips, "No reason to panic. You are completely safe in here. With me."

"I'm not safe any _near_ you!" The words taste sour on his tongue. His chest heaves out another desperate attempt for air, "I need out. I need to get out!"

A laugh. Tommy shivers.

"We both read that waver you sighed to come in here. You aren't getting out Tommy."

Rushed air between his teeth. Tommy tucks himself as close to the lava wall as possible, happily taking the overwhelming heat on his skin over the man stalking up behind him any day, "Sam! Sam please! I want out!"

"Tommy-"

"Sam!" Tears were stinging his eyes. Why wasn't Sam replying? Why wasn't Sam coming for him? Letting him out? Taking him away? Was he angry at him? Did Tommy do something to upset him? He wouldn't be surprised, Tommy upsets everyone eventually, it was only a matter of time before he actually got on Sam's nerves. 

But Tommy can't pin point an exact issue he's ever had with the man. Can't find an exact moment where Sam didn't smile upon his arrival, didn't welcome him with a soft expression and, when Tommy allowed it, a gentle squeeze on his arm, or a hand on his back, or even just the grazing of skin when he handed Tommy something to eat.

"Sam _please-_ Whatever I did I'm sorry! Just let me **_out_**!"

The walls were closing in on him. Suffocating him. Trapping him until he couldn't breath. Oh god, he couldn't breath. He couldn't breath. He couldn't-

A sigh hits his ears, frustration and annoyance filling the breathe and alarms burst in his eardrums.

There's blood on his hands from his nails digging into his palms, his hair is a mess from running his fingers through it, his skin is flushed red from the heat radiating from the lava.

"Phil...?" 

Phil's always liked helping people. Even if he probably hates Tommy for siding with Tubbo, for not helping Wilbur when he could, for abandoning and betraying Techno? He would still help him right? He would get him out of here right? He wouldn't leave him with Dream...

Right?

Tears sting his eyes as he struggles to force the name out, "Phil? Please...Please. I want out. _Please_." A low whine escape him, "Dad..."

Hands settle on his shoulders and Tommy instinctively jerk forward to escape the hold. A scream rips through his throat when his arm brushes burning lava before a grip on the back of his shirt is pulling him away and further back into the room.

"Tommy," A voice above him, but all Tommy can focus on is getting another weak breath in his lungs, On his hand pressing against the fresh wound on his arm which is sticky between his fingers. On struggling not to throw up at the stench of burnt flesh. 

Then there's a hand in his hair, long calloused fingers smoothing through the strands, and Tommy's shoulders shake with barely contained sobs.

_He never liked it when I cried. He never liked it when I cried. He never liked it when I-_

His face is pressed into a shoulder, the fabric under his cheek soft, and another hand settles on the back of his neck, squeezing tightly.

"You are safe here Tommy," A voice close to his ear, " No one is going to hurt you here. I'm going to protect you."

Tommy cries into the persons shoulder, desperately clings to the front of their shirt and gasps in each agonizing breath that sets his chest ablaze.

He curls into their willing embrace when they slid ever so carefully to the ground, puts all of his remaining strength into listening to the steady, even heartbeat under his ear that makes him think of warm fire places and soft feathers and the quiet strumming of a guitar and a rough voice reading out loud at his side.

"Get some rest Tommy. There will be plenty of time to talk when you wake up."

Tommy barely manages a nod, melts into the feeling of a hand stroking his hair, and welcomes the darkness pulling at his vision.

\--------

Outside, Sam is pacing back and forth in front of the prison doors, mentally going over what he all has on hand for resources.

"Sam?"

Puffy's voice hits his ears, but its Tubbo's gaze he looks up to meet. The boy is looking at him anxiously, leaning into Puffy's side.

"Tommy-"

"Tommy?" Tubbo steps towards him, hands splayed outward, "What happened to Tommy? Where is he?"

When Sam doesnt offer a reply Tubbo's eyes shift from him, to the prison still standing tall behind him, and then returning back to Sam.

"No..." The single word is whispered and Sam's heart nearly breaks all over again watching Tubbo's retreating form hit Puffy's chest, "No...No no no. He-He cant be..."

"Someone attacked the prison early today. I had to set up the security measures. There was no other-"

Tubbo's stare burns a hole through his chest. He can hear each labored breath pass through his lips, "Why was he there in the first place? Do you know what Dream put him through?"

Sam barely holds back a bitter chuckle. The last thing he wants to do is scare the kid even more than he already is, "I do. But this was something that Tommy wanted- That Tommy needed to do. I wasn't going to stop him from confronting Dream."

"He's claustrophobic."

Sam tenses, "What?"

"Tommy," The teen straightens his stance. Sam tries not to focus on the way his hands shake at his sides, "He's claustrophobic."

Tubbo's glare makes him want to flinch back and tuck himself away but Puffy's hand on his arm stops him cold in his tracks.

"Can you unlock it? Get him out now?"

He shakes his head, "No. Not until it's all fixed. And who knows how long that could take-"

Puffy's grip falters before strengthening, weak smile on her lips and Sam can tell she's trying her best to keep it together for all of them.

Sam steps forward and Tubbo's stare strengthens. The shorter boy tilts his chin up, and Sam sees the familiar sharp flint in his eye that connects him to the child solider, to a disctators right hand man, to a president.

He forces a breath through his teeth, "Ok..." He swallows, "Ok. Lets get to work."

**Author's Note:**

> Back at it again with that angst. Oops. I literally wrote this dirrectly after Tommy's stream today (2/21/20) so some details, such as the state of the prison and everything, are wrong but honestly there isn't to much that IS cannon about it so eh. But, I hope you all enjoyed and let me know if I missed anything!


End file.
